#09: Simulating Nature: Realistic and Interactive Techniques

Organizer
David S. Ebert (Purdue University)

Lecturers
Oliver Deussen (Technische Universität Dresden)
David S. Ebert (Purdue University)
Ronald P. Fedkiw (Stanford University)
F. Kenton Musgrave (Pandromeda, Inc.)
Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz (University of Calgary)
Jos Stam (Alias|Wavefront)
Jerry Tessendorf (Cinesite)

Overview
This summary of the state of the art for simulating natural phenomena in both research and commercial production environments covers realistic modeling, rendering, and animation of mountains; interactively navigable worlds; plants; trees; water; fire; smoke; and clouds. Practical aspects, interactive approximation, implementation, and future directions for research are discussed.

Prerequisites
Familiarity with standard graphics techniques for modeling and rendering. Experience with basic grammar-based modeling, procedural techniques, and particle systems is helpful but not required.

Topics
Fractal-based techniques for simulating mountains and interactive navigable planets; realistic modeling and rendering of oceanscapes viewed from above or below; stable and interactive simulation of motion in fluids; interactive simulation of fire; volumetric procedural cloud modeling and realtime issues for simulating volumetric natural phenomenon (for example, smoke, fog, clouds, water); rapid realistic smoke simulation; interactive grammar-based techniques for modeling of plants and plant ecosystems.

Course #09 Notes (PDF, 89MB)